by Clara Cavin Kleinpeter

I watched a movie the other day

The title was "The Portrait of Dorian Gray"

'Tis true he was handsome and pleasing to see

But full or vanity and arrogance was he.

He thought to himself that he should go find

An artist to capture his beauty sublime.

So off he went on a search the next day

And all through the town he made his way.

Now, just any old artist would never do

For Dorian was most particular about who

Would be given the honor of painting his face,

For he knew it would hang in a prominent place.

He wanted all of the world to see

How handsome he was at age twenty-three.

But Dorian was not a good person to any,

He was cruel and deceitful, his enemies many.

After posing for months and months on end

The portrait was finished and shown to him.

"Oh," said Dorian, "I wish I could stay

As young and handsome as I am today."

Scarcely had the words been spoken aloud

When Satan appeared By his side in a cloud.

"I can grant you your wish" Dorian heard him say,

"And you can easily afford the price you must pay."

Excited and anxious for his wish to come true

Dorian told Satan he was willing to do

Whatever it took if he could always stay

Just as he was on that fateful day.

Satan told Dorian, with a gleam in his eye,

That payment wasn't due until the day he died.

And when that day came, be it sooner or later,

His soul was the cost required for this favor.

Well, Dorian was young and thought nothing of dying.

It's the now and the present for which he was vying.

So Dorian made a pact with the devil to be

Young and handsome for all eternity.

Feeling smug and quite pleased with himself,

He took the portrait home and placed it on a shelf

He displayed it as a treasure for all to view

For none was more handsome, that Dorian knew!

He admiringly gazed at his portrait each day

But noticed it changing in a peculiar way.

For some reason the portrait was etched with lines

Making him look older and less handsome with time.

He scratched his head and wondered why

His portrait was changing right before his eye.

He didn't know that with each evil deed

His portrait reflected the true man indeed.

Not wanting to see the ugly side of himself,

He took the portrait down from its prominent shelf

And up to the attic he took it that day,

Where he found a dark corner and hid it away.

As he grew older, he remained the same,

Young and handsome and oh so vain.

But every dirty deed that Dorian did

Was reflected in the portrait that he kept hid.

He finally figured out what was causing the change

But couldn't admit that he was to blame.

So he kept the portrait out of sight,

Hidden in the attic where there was no light.

After many years, he took one last look

And was appaled and shocked at the toll his sins took.

He couldn't bear to gaze on the face

That once was so handsome, but now a disgrace.

He covered his eyes as he fell to the floor,

Weeping and wailing and knowing for sure

That his soul was damned and to Hell it would go

Where his torment would last for evermore.

As the movie ended, I pondered this thought:

Does our soul bear the sins that we have wrought?

Do we only show others what we want them to see?

If God really knows all, how can He love me?

As the answer came, I felt great relief.

I remembered Christ loved even the thief

Who was hung on a cross to die for his crime...

And I know Jesus died for your sins and mine.

Just as the thief was forgiven that day

When he asked for forgiveness and heard Jesus say,

"Today you'll be with me in paradise."

We're completely forgiven, snow white in His eyes.

How thankful I am to know I'm forgiven...

To have the assurance of eternity in Heaven.

My sins washed away By the Blood of the Lamb,

To know that His child, and forever, I am.